New Ulster Steel Fighting – Art of Combat European Martial Arts

2015 Saint Olav’s Tournament Results

For the past two years now we have enjoyed keeping up with our friends in Trondheim, Norway and their incredibly popular Saint Olav’s Tournament. This tournament is a competition of mounted skills in Historical European Martial Arts.St. Olav’s Tournament is held every year in Trondheim Norway. It takes place close to the Nidaros Cathedral. The jousting group Ordo Ignis, of Trondheim in cooperation with Olavsfestdagene host an annual invitational jousting Tournament. Six to eight participants compete in Skill at Arms, Joust and Melee on the historical jousting grounds of the kings holding in TrondheimHere are this year’s results for the St. Olav’s Tournament 2015.

Competitors/deltagere:
Bear Steinar Gundersen, Tore Gransæther, Erik Ryen, Bente Andresen, Per Estein Prøys Røhjell (Pelle), Ivar Mauritz-Hansen, Bertold Voss (Bertie)
Tournament Champions and overall placings included their points:

1. Erik Ryen, 288 points
2. Skin, 246 points
3. Bente, 166 point
4. Ivar, 98 points
5. Bear, 93 points
6. Tore 75 points
7. Bertie, 60 points
.
Joust / dyst:

1. Pelle, 100 points (16 lances)
2. Erik, 88 points (14 lances)
3 Bente, 75 points (12 Spears)
4. Tore, 19 points
5. Bear, 13 points
5. Ivar, 13 points
7. Bertie, 0 points
.
Skill at Arms:

1. Erik, 100 points (49 targets)
2. Bear, 71 points
3. Ivar 67 points
4. Bente, 63 points
5. skin, 55 points
6. Bertie, 51 points
7. Tore, 47 points
.
Bohourd / Melee:

1. Erik, 100 points (11 crests)
2. skin, 91 points
3. Victoria, 27 points
4. Ivar, 18 points
5. Bjørn, 9 points
5. Tore, 9 points
5. Bertie, 9 points
We offer up a celebratory congratulations to all of the competitors, both riders and horse of the 2015 Saint Olav’s Tournament for their mounted skills and agility. It takes an immense level of dedication to training and a passion for the arts to achieve the skill needed to participate in this level of competition, and at such a prestigious tournament. Again, congratulations from all of us here at New Ulster Steel Fighting School of Medieval Combat Arts.

By: Jeff Webb

Pictures and printed information used with permission from the Family Hassel-Ryen and The Saint Olav’s Tournament.

Review: Crusader Spangen Helm by Get Dressed for Battle

There are many types of period helmets/head protection that one can invest in for Medieval/Renaissance/Historical European Martial Arts. In our martial arts organization you still typically see steel armour helmets. Soon enough there will be more and more heavy fencing H.E.M.A. masks involved in our training sessions, but we like the weight and sensory limitations that a period helm places a fighter under to give us a feel for what out forefathers in these martial arts experienced. The helmet we will be looking at is the get Dressed for Battle, Crusader Spangen Helmet.

I’ve recently decided to try out this helmet as a replacement for my great helm that I have been wearing for around eight years, and I’ve decided to write a review on the helmet after having some freestyle matches utilizing it. Firstly, the helmet is comfortable to wear and mounts very well on the head. There is room for an arming cap and coif, and you will need that for this helmet. The helmet have wonderful visibility and the breathability inside of this helmet is also great. That said, the oculars on the helmet’s face mask (it is not a hinged visor helm) are larger enough that I highly recommend wearing protective eye hardware inside of the helmet. I use hard plastic eye protection made for doing yard/garden work (mowing and edging). It is not a guarantee against injury, but an added element to help keep the wearer safer in sparring with rebated swords, etc… Continue reading “Review: Crusader Spangen Helm by Get Dressed for Battle”

ACSMMA National & Open Sword Fighting Championships 2013

Durban Sword and Shield Club in Durban, South Africa, will be hosting the first ACSMMA (The Affiliation for Contemporary Swordsmanship and Medieval Martial Arts) National and Open Swordfighting Championships 2013, and invites eligible fighters and teams from all parts of the world to attend and compete in this event. Below is a detailed listing of the events:

Venue: Hillcrest Scout Hall, Hillcrest, KwaZulu-Natal

Date: 09-11 August 2013

Events, Day one (Friday, 09 August):

Morning – Rapier (any combination of rapier and dagger, cloak, or case is permitted)

Afternoon – unarmoured longsword (weapon type to be decided upon)

Events, Day two (Saturday, 10 August):

Morning – Fully-armoured combat (sword and shield, longsword, greatsword and spear permitted) these will be steel, rebated weapons, & will be inspected for safety.

Afternoon – Dark Ages Holmganga (weapons chosen by chance and to include sword, shield, dagger, and spear)

At the end of Day Two, there will be a feast for all combatants and their guests. Continue reading “ACSMMA National & Open Sword Fighting Championships 2013”

Purists and Innovators: An Observation of Two Classifications of Western Martial Artists

Although there has been a rise in interest for roughly the last three decades in Renaissance and Medieval European Martial Arts, or what some refer to as Western Martial Arts, there appears to be surfacing what may be a level of contention between what the author of this article will refer to as “Purists” and “Innovators.” What is the matter of contention, or problem between these two classifications of martial artists and why does it exist? Furthermore, should there really be any issue in the first place? Continue reading “Purists and Innovators: An Observation of Two Classifications of Western Martial Artists”